3 Wholesome Romance Anime

Introduction

Happy Valentine’s Day, but let’s face it, you’re here because you’re not celebrating Valentine’s Day with someone, and that’s fine. But, if you did have a date, today I’ll be going over three wholesome romance anime you could watch with that date.

And, if you’re reading this after Valentine’s Day, don’t worry! These anime are great to watch no matter what day of the year it is.

Sakura Trick is a yuri romance anime, which means it’s about a romance between two girls. That’s right, we’re starting off with some LGBTQ+ representation today.

I originally rated this series as a 6/10, but it’s one which I want to rewatch at some point because I think I’d appreciate it a lot more now than I did when I first watched it. It’s a very simple story, and I think that’s why I didn’t rate it very high after my first watch through.

The plot is that there are two high school best friends, Haruka Takayama and Yuu Sonada, who feel their relationship with each other isn’t special compared to their relationships with their peers. To make their relationship more special, they share a kiss, and this is the start of their romance.

Haruka Takayama and Yuu Sonada

But, two girls dating isn’t something they think their peers at their all-girls school would accept, and so they hide their relationship. While the fact that they feel they need to hide their relationship may seem tragic in a way, the reality is that their friends and family would support them either way.

As the series progresses, we learn of other girls who have similar relationships, and this helps Haruka and Yuu come to terms with their own relationship. It’s a cute story about girls learning that their feelings for each other are normal and should be embraced rather than rejected.

Maybe you don’t really care about yuri romance though. Does this series have anything for you if that’s the case?

I think so. Sakura Trick has a pretty impressive track record of commenting on the shoujo ai genre of manga and anime. Even if you aren’t necessarily a fan of the genre, I think this commentary is still something you’ll be able to appreciate.

It’s a self-aware series, and that leads to some pretty great scenes. In one, some side characters are commenting on Haruka and Yuu’s relationship being like one from a yuri anime. In another, our main characters mention how unique their classmates all are, as we see them pictured as faceless, grey, background characters.

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san is a much different sort of romance anime than Sakura Trick. This series focuses on the relationship between a middle school girl, Takagi, and the boy who sits next to her in class, Nishikata.

More than anything, this is a comedy series, but it’s also still very much about romance. Basically, Takagi constantly teases Nishikata because she thinks it’s cute when he gets flustered, and Nishikata fails to tease Takagi in return because she always outwits him.

It’s a nice story about childhood crushes that will make you laugh, and what could possibly be better than that?

Nishikata and Takagi

There are some decent side characters in this anime, but the main focus by far is on Takagi and Nishikata. Each episode is broken up into multiple skits which each focus on a single prank. And, although almost the entire series takes place either in the classroom or on the walk home from school, it feels like we see the entire lives of our main duo.

This is because the parts of their lives that we do see are their most intimate moments in which they’re focused on each other and nothing else.

If you didn’t watch this series while it was airing last year, you seriously need to go watch it right now. It’s an 8/10 and a second season has been confirmed so you’ll want to be all caught up by the time that releases.

Also, Takagi is voiced by my valentine, Rie Takahashi, so there’s just one final reason for why you need to watch this anime.

Alright, so maybe you think Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san sounds a bit childish. That’s a wrong opinion, but I’ll pretend it’s valid for a brief moment. If that’s the case, then allow me to introduce you to the best anime of the Winter 2019 season, Kaguya-sama: Love is War.

This series is essentially a more mature version of Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san in which we have a battle of wits between the class president, Miyuki Shirogane, and the class vice president, Kaguya Shinomiya. They both have crushes on one another, but confessing your love first is the ultimate sign of submission.

In their world, which is the world of the wealthy, smart, and politically powerful, being seen as submissive is essentially a death sentence. And so, both Miyuki and Kaguya must trick each other into professing their love first.

Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya

Kaguya-sama: Love is War may even be a contender for best anime of the year at the end of 2019, it’s that good. It’s cute, it’s funny, it’s witty, it’s everything a good romantic comedy should be. And, it’s not a harem anime like so many other romantic comedies are these days.

But, while the characters in this series are more mature than the previous one, they’re still very innocent at the same time. I think Miyuki and Kaguya would literally die from excitement if they ever held hands, and if that doesn’t make you want to watch this anime I don’t know what will.

Well, that’s not entirely true. What will make you want to watch this anime is also another character, Chika Fujiwara, also known as Love Detective Chika. Her song and dance during the ED of episode 3 is one of the greatest things to ever grace the world. I’d link to a video, but they seem to constantly be getting taken down.

Conclusion

So, which of these anime will you be watching on Valentine’s Day with your anime body pillow significant other? And, as a bonus, for those of you who are going to be alone on Valentine’s Day, just watch One Room. You’re welcome.

If you enjoyed this post or found any of these wholesome romance anime recommendations to be helpful, then let me know by clicking the like button ❤ down below. Also, give me a follow over on Twitter @DoubleSama and I’ll be your valentine.

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